Spicy, smoky and succulent - you could hardly go wrong when these define the dish you make.Bites of chicken grilled to perfection and instantly sprinkled with chaat masala for that much-needed tang and served immediately. I cannot think of a better appetizer or a side to fragrant rice pilaf. If you think healthy, skip the carbs and serve over a bed of greens and you are good to go.
When cooking chicken, I make sure not to skip the marination part - it does wonders to the otherwise plain poultry. Hours of marination in yogurt and spices not only makes the chicken morsels tender but packs them with so much flavor. I always plan leftovers because these are excellent tucked inside a wrap with some green chutney (or hot sauce), mayo and few fresh veggies.
It would be false if I told you that I grew up eating home cooked chicken tikka. Every now and then when we had family dinners, tikkas of all sorts were ordered from a barbecue take out place near to our house. In India, home delivery is so common and free if you live in the same area as the restaurant. The tikkas came wrapped in layers of aluminum foil, still warm from the tandoor (clay oven).There used to be pink hued pickled pearl onions, lime wedges and chutney to go along the smoky bites.At times,it did not matter to transfer the contents on to a dinner plate, just spread open the foil and everybody helped themselves - a really informal way of entertaining if you may think so.
Tikka (meaning chunks or pieces)Â is an extremely popular street food back home. All kinds of marinated vegetables, paneer as well as meat and poultry are available readily for a take away or a quick mid evening snack by the road side.
However, these are not to be confused with Chicken Tikka Masala, a spicy curry from the indian subcontinent which could definitely use a tikka like these simmered in sauce. You would find a lot of recipes of making tikka in India, each using almost the same spices in varying quantities.I am sharing what I make every now and then with all kinds of herbs & an essential dollop of ghee that goes into the marinade.
Morsels of chicken marinated in yogurt and fresh ground spices and then grilled to perfection. You could use the same marinade for paneer tofu or with vegetable chunks.
Ingredients (Serves 2-3)
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighsÂ
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the marinade
- 3 tablespoon thick plain yogurt
- 1 green cardamom
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½" cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder (this gives the color, not the heat)
- 3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust to tolerance)
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 heaping tsp kasuri methi, crushed between palms(dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tbsp gheeÂ
- salt
- oil for brushing the grill top/skillet
Note -
- Â You could use chicken breast too in this recipe. But I find that thighs turn out much more juicy and succulent.
- If you don not have all the whole spices mentioned above, trust your favorite tandoori spice powder & use it. Don't skip the fresh herbs though.
Method
Clean and pat dry the chicken thighs. Cut them into bite size pieces. Rub with lemon juice, minced garlic & ginger,½ teaspoon salt and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, tip in cardamom,coriander,black pepper, fenugreek, cinnamon & cloves into your coffee grinder and grind to a (not too fine) powder. Mix this powder in a bowl with yogurt,cumin powder, turmeric, chili, cilantro, green chili, kasuri methi, ghee & mint leaves. Marinate the chicken with this and keep refrigerated for at least 8 hours (overnight is best).
Take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle salt to taste before ready to grill. I use my stove top grill to cook them, however you can skew them and cook over outdoor grill.These cook very well over a cast iron skillet/tava. Cook the chicken pieces to perfection flipping regularly to cook on all sides.
Serve hot along side onion rings &Â green chutney.
Enjoy & Thanks for stopping by!
Nandita
Just loved the 2nd shot. Great recipe tanvi. The chicken tikka a look really yum 🙂
Rosa Mayland
Wonderfully spicy! A great recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
myninjanaan
ommmmgggg Tanvi! This is just toooooo muchhh!
Tanvi
ha ha..I m smiling ear to ear 🙂
Priya
Would love to finish those irresistible chicken tikkas..
birthdaygirl
This looks so tasty! Love the photos.
Tanvi
Thank you
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
just pinned this..lovely photos.
Tanvi
Thanks lovely!
spicesandpisces
Love the new look of your blog Tanvi. The chicken tikkas look delicious. Love the vibrant color. I make a different kind bit yours look to appetizing not to try.
Tanvi
I think tikka recipes are suit to taste & vary from cook to cook. Like my mom adds onion paste to hers,I don't.Would love to see your version.
Ananda Rajashekar
That picture of garlic is just stunning! Feels good to be back after a long time!
Tanvi
Seriously Ananda, its been such a long time. Many thanks for stopping by!
Cteavin
Your photos are amazing. I love the color composition, especially in the layout of the spices. And I love murgh. I'm going to try this.
Tanvi
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you like these
Joyti
First of all, new layout? I LOVE it! So clean and crisp and easy to read!
Second, this looks delish. I love the story about eating take-out tikka off foil, such a sweet memory 🙂
Tanvi
Thanks Joyti.Glad that you liked it 🙂
RebeccaSubbiah RDN ✈ (@chowandchatter)
looks amazing must try
Neelu
Love the new look and gorgeous photos as usual! I'am a die hard fan of barbecued or grilled meat. A lot more easier than making elaborate curries. I will let you know when I try this recipe. xx
Shema | LifeScoops
The chicken looks so good and juicy. You are making me so hungry !!
Asmita (@FoodieAsmita)
Your chicken tikka is making my mouth water! Looks fantastic with the green chutney and onion rings on the side!
Nancy/SpicieFoodie
My mouth is watering so much right now. Love your beautiful photos and recipes!
getyourexbackkk
Thanks for this yummy recipe.I tried it last night it came really so yummy and delicious.I must say the way you explain and the images are really help me lot to prepare.
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Yummy chicken tikka